Xiao Wu couldn't tolerate being insulted like that and immediately prepared to fire back.
However, Ye Wen raised his hand to stop her.
"If a dog bites you, do you bite back? Winning is winning, and losing is losing. Why make so many excuses?
Boss Dai, right? If you want a rematch, let's go."
With that, Ye Wen glanced around and continued, "This place isn't suitable for a fight. Follow me."
After speaking, Ye Wen turned and walked away with the two girls.
Ma Hongjun, who had just realized he was being compared to a dog, didn't even have time to retort. His face turned beet red like pig liver. He wanted to curse back but didn't know how to counter with an equally biting retort. This left him feeling utterly frustrated.
The group from Shrek slowly followed behind.
As they walked, Dai Mubai's heart grew increasingly uneasy.
Ye Wen hadn't acted as Dai Mubai had expected—being harassed into a corner to fight in a messy brawl. Instead, Ye Wen remained calm, as if he had foreseen every move Dai Mubai would make.
The expressions of the others also varied, as Ye Wen's demeanor exuded complete confidence.
Only Ning Rongrong, who had grown accustomed to such composure due to her father's high status, remained unfazed. In fact, her eyes sparkled with newfound interest.
It was hard for Ning Rongrong to imagine that a boy barely in his teens could possess the same composed demeanor as her father. His tranquil gaze seemed to conceal boundless wisdom.
This… made her heart flutter!
Ning Rongrong was well aware of her future fate. As the designated successor of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, she would need to find a battle-oriented soul master as her lifelong partner.
His strength, gentle demeanor, and mature handling of situations naturally drew the attention of Ning Rongrong, who was still in the throes of youthful innocence.
Ning Rongrong's subtle change was quickly noticed by Oscar, the bearded uncle secretly infatuated with her.
At this tender age of budding emotions, Oscar—who hadn't even confessed yet—felt a sharp pang of jealousy.
I was here first!
Soon, Ye Wen led the Shrek group to a desolate wilderness. Ye Wen stopped, rolled up his sleeves, and looked at Dai Mubai.
"Do we need a referee, or should we just start?"
Ye Wen's straightforward challenge left Dai Mubai flustered. He knew full well he couldn't beat Ye Wen alone, which was why he brought along this group of friends.
Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai's top henchman who had benefited greatly from Dai Mubai's generosity in food, drink, and other indulgences, stepped forward once again, taking on the role of the clown.
"What's there to talk about with Boss Dai? We're here today to teach him some respect for his elders!
Martial Soul Attachment—Evil Fire Phoenix!"
Instantly, soul power surged through Ma Hongjun's body, and a pair of tiny wings appeared on his arms where his true form armor was located.
But despite the flames enveloping his body, his tiny wings, spiky hair from martial soul attachment, and hefty build made him look more like an evil fire chicken than a phoenix.
Pfft!
Xiao Wu couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight.
Ma Hongjun was extremely sensitive about insults to his martial soul and instantly became enraged, activating his first soul skill, Phoenix Flame Line!
Well, given Ma Hongjun's appearance, calling it "Phoenix Flame Line" felt like a forced association. It might as well have been called "Flame Spray."
Ye Wen already knew Ma Hongjun lacked martial ethics, so the moment Ma Hongjun activated his martial soul attachment, Ye Wen did the same.
"Second Soul Skill—Wind Element Mastery—Wind Shield."
Instantly, wind elements gathered before Ye Wen and his companions, rapidly spinning into a powerful wind shield.
Realizing what was happening, Xiao Wu became furious, cursing the fatso while activating her own martial soul attachment.
Huo Yu'er, who possessed equal—or even superior—combat awareness as Ye Wen, had already completed her martial soul attachment earlier. By now, she had retrieved a bow and arrow from her storage-type soul tool and was ready to shoot.
At this point, the rest of the Shrek group also realized the battle was about to begin and activated their martial soul attachments.
Tang San, the most combat-aware individual in Shrek thanks to his two lifetimes of experience, was the first to launch his first soul skill, Blue Silver Bind.
Seeing the approaching blue silver grass, Ye Wen's eyes turned cold. After glancing at Ma Hongjun, who had nearly run out of breath from overusing his first soul skill and stopped spewing flames, Ye Wen instantly altered the trajectory of the wind, shaping the flames into a fireball.
"Here, have it back!"
With that, Ye Wen hurled the fireball back at the Shrek group.
Although Ma Hongjun's flames were impure and fell short of the pinnacle of fire, they were close enough to pose a significant threat to the fragile members of the Shrek group.
Without a defensive soul master among them, the Shrek group scattered. Tang San, who had initiated the attack, saw his blue silver grass instantly incinerated.
However, under the enhancement of his Purple Extreme Demon Eye, Tang San reacted quickly, halting his soul skill and retreating to a safe distance.
Tang San realized he couldn't handle Ye Wen alone and needed to rely on his teammates.
But just then, Dai Mubai shot a White Tiger Fierce Light Wave straight at him, catching Tang San off guard and dealing heavy damage, causing him to emit a low groan.
Hearing this unexpected sound, Dai Mubai's expression turned strange.
Tang San quickly remembered something and shouted, despite not being knocked unconscious:
"Be careful of the archer on their side! Her first soul skill creates illusions. If you're unsure whether someone is an enemy, don't attack recklessly—it could hurt our own people!"
The members of Shrek suddenly exchanged odd looks.
Ning Rongrong seemed to realize something and quickly retreated, with Oscar following suit.
Ma Hongjun also caught on and exclaimed, "Damn, this soul skill is ridiculous! For those with weak discernment, isn't this basically a god-tier skill that screws over your own teammates?!"
"Correct, but no reward," Huo Yu'er said coldly, raising her bow and firing an arrow at Ma Hongjun.
Facing the incoming arrow, Ma Hongjun didn't react, clearly already affected by Huo Yu'er's first soul skill, Illusory Vision.
Having fought Huo Yu'er before, Tang San's ears twitched, allowing him to pinpoint the source of the attack through sound. He immediately countered with a hidden weapon, deflecting the arrow.
But Tang San's expression soon darkened again. A one-on-one fight with Huo Yu'er would've been manageable, but this was a team battle!
Though Tang San prided himself on his exceptional ability to discern positions through sound, he knew he couldn't guarantee intercepting all of Huo Yu'er's attacks amidst the complex auditory environment of a team fight.
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